Locking-hinge construction.



W; J. KELLY.

LOOKING HINGE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILEDAUG.8,1905.

rus NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c

PATENTED AUG. '7, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.,

PATE NTED AUG. 7, 1906v W. J. KELLY.

LOCKING HINGE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION 11.31) AUG.8.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS F51! as :c-, WASHINGTON. D t.

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KELLY,

OF CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO J. A. KELLY 86 BROS, OF CLINTON, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

LOCKING-HINGE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1906.

Application filed August 8,1905. Serial No. 273,289.

ing a part of this specification I show a simple form of embodiment of the invention which Iwill setforth in detail in the following description to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. The novelty of the said invention will be embraced in my claims. In the" said drawings I illustrate a part of a sofa-bed which in itself forms no part of the invention, but have incorporated in the same a locking-hinge construction including my invention, and this sofa-bed I will describe only s'ufiiciently to indicate the purposes and advantages of my invention. The sofa-bed hasin its make-up a seat and a back, and these, as usual, are hingedly connected. It is the principal object of the locking mechanism to maintain the back in an upright position and against accidental rearward tilting motion. The locking mechanism, however, is of such a character that the back and seat may be put into horizontal alinement, so as to present collectively" a bed. In the different positions in which the seat and back are put the locking mechanism cooperative therewith is wholly automatic in its action.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a part of a sofa-bed having a lockinghinge construction including my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are similar views of the back and seat thereof and represent several different positions taken by these parts in convertin said sofa-bed from a sofa to a bed.

ike characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring more especially to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral 2 denotes the body portion of a sofa-bed. The seat is designated by 3 and the back by 4:. The seat and the back are connected by some suitable form of hinge, such as that shown by 5. As a matter of fact, in practice two such hinges will be provided, although only one of them is shown.

When the sofa-bed is used as a sofa or as what is known as a 1 davenport, the back rises 1 from the seat, the two parts, as will be understood, being at right angles to each other They are in practice, however,

at this time. arranged for which purpose they may be carried atthe upper ends of duplicate links, as 6, mounted for oscillatory motion upon the body portion 2. Only one of the links is shown. The

structure just briefly set forth is a known onein the art of furniture, and my invention, as will now appear, can with profit be asso' ciated therewith.

I movably connect to one of the swinging: members of the sofa-bed an arm, as 7 The arm is shown as pivoted at or near its rear end to the back 4. The free or forward portion of this arm is shown as extended through a staple, as 8, which constitutes an advantageous guide for said arm as the latter is moved longitudinally and which subserves other important functions, more particularly appear. This staple is fastened to or carried by the seat 3. connected with the arm 7 is a locking dog or latch, as 9. This dog is represented as pivoted to the arm between the endsof the latter in order that the free portion of the arm will extend beyond the corresponding portion of the dog or in its operative position, it rests-in the space between the lower branch of the staple 8 and a pin, as 10, extending outward from the seat 3, parallel with the said lower branch. The pin 10 and the lower branch of the staple therefore present catches to be engaged by the locking dog or latch when the latter is in its operative position, as shown in Fi 1, at which time it stands slightly angularl with respect to the arm 7, the latter at this time bearing against the staple. The upper branch of the staple serves to limit upward motion of the arm 7, so that in this way the locking dog or latch will be maintained positively normally in its working relation to prevent rearward accidental tipping of the back.

It will be assumed that it is desired to convert the sofa-bedstead into a bed. To do this, the back 4 is swung rearwardly onto the body portion 2, and as the back and seat at this time are in locked relation the latter will swinging motion in unison, for

as will hereinafter- Movably latch. When the latter isit desirable to state at this point that in the ,present case the locking dog or latch 9 is of the gravity type. It therefore follows that when the seat 3 is swung toward the horizontal back 4 sufficiently to effect the disenga e ment of the dog 9 from the pin 10 the 0g will when such disengagement is effected immediately assume a vertical position, thereby releasing the seat, so that the latter can be swung down into a horizontal position and into alinement with the back. When the seat is moved toward the back in the manner just indicated, the arm 7 is drawn relatively rearward and through the staple. When the seat is swung down, the arm is projected forward through the staple. As the arm moves relatively forward through the staple the dog 9 will be swung upward into alinement with the arm, when it strikes successively the pin and the lower branch of the staple, so that the dog can be moved through the staple. As soon as the dog has passed through the staple it at once assumes automatically a vertical position. To convert the article of furniture from a bed to a sofa, the back will be elevated to a vertical position, and when it is moved a certain distance the dog will strike the lower branch of the staple and will be brought into alinement with its carryingarm, the free end of the dog at this time facing the free end of the arm. The back is elevated sufficiently to carry the dog entirely through the staple, and when it is moved through the staple its free end drops into the space between the pin and lower branch of the staple 8 and again locks the back against accidental backward motion. Throughout the entire cycle of operations the mechanism is wholly automatic.

I do not have to form any notches in either the arm 7 or the dog, the side edges of each being plain and respectively in the present case parallel. Really the lower angle of the dog constitutes the effective portion thereof, for it is this part that enters the space between the pin 10 and the staple 8.. During the different motions in securing the adjustment of the article of furniture from a sofa to a bed, and vice versa, the arm 7, which constitutes an advantageous carrier for the dog 9, longitudinally traverses the staple.

In the form of the invention shown the arm 7 is pivoted near the rear edge of the back 4, whereby in the case of such form I can secure the advantages hereinbefore pointed out. The organization, however, may be modified within the scope of my claims, in which case it will not be essential that the arm be pivoted, as set forth.

Having described the invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of two hingedly-connected members, an arm movably connected with one of said members, a pair of catches both carried by one of said hingedlyconnect ed members, and a dog movably mounted on the arm, and adapted, when in its operative position, to fit in the space between the catches.

2. The combination of two hingedly-connected members, an arm movably connected with one of said members, a staple on the other member throu h which the arm is'eX- tended, a pin carrie by the member which carries said staple and adjacent the latter, and a dog movably mounted on the arm and adapted, when in its operative position, to fit in the space between the pin and one branch of the staple.

3. The combination of two hingedly-connected members, two cooperative catches on one of them, a dog adapted, when in its operative position, to enter the space between the catches, and a carrier for the dog adapted, on the motion 'of one of the hingedly-connected members, to move the dog into an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. KELLY. 

